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J. HOFFMAN. Lead and GrayOnFHH'QLder. No. 235,149. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH REOKEN- DORFER, OF SAME PLACE.

LEAD AND CRAYON HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,149, dated December 7, 1880.

Application filed August 28, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH HOFFMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and nsefnl Improvements in Lead and Crayon Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to what is known as the automatic holder for lead or crayon, a holder in which the lead is clasped by a spring gripingdevice, which is caused to release its hold by pressure against the stress of the spring, and which, when said pressure is removed, automatically resumes its hold on the lead; and my invention consists in the novel means hereinafter described, and more specifically pointed out in the claims, by which I produce a holder having the foregoing characteristics.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder employing my invention, the case or handle being partly broken away to expose the working parts within. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same. Fig. 3 is alike section of a modification hereinafter described.

In Fig. l the parts are represented in the position they occupy when the lead is unclamped, and in Fig. 2 they are represented in the position which they assume when the lead is clamped.

The tubular handle or case Ais of any ordinary or suitable construction. Within it is supported the lead-containing tube or receiver B, which is fast to and has no movement independently of the handle. The clampingsnrfaces, which take the place of the jaws usually employed to grasp the lead, are formed by slotting the tube B on each side for a portion of its length back of its front end, leaving two thin bars, a, above and below, which may be pressed toward one another, so as tb contract the diameter of the receiver B at that point, and which, when pressure upon them is removed, will move apart sufficiently to permit the lead I) to move back and forth in the tube without hinderance.

Various meansmay be employed to press the bars or strips toward one another. The device which I in the present instance em- 50 ploy consists of a metallic ring, 0, encircling the receiver at the point where the bars or strips to are formed and jointed or hinged to the case at d, the hinge or joint being at a point which lies in a plane passing longitudinally through both bars a. The ring is of such size that when it stands at right angles to the receiver, as shown in Fig. 1, it will not press the bars, but when moved on its joint or pivot, so as to stand obliquely to the receiver, it will, on account of the decrease of what may be termed its working diameter, press the bars inwardly, and thus clamp them upon thelead, as indicated in Fig. 2. This latter is the normal position of the clamping-ring, it being brought to said position by the action of a spiral spring, 0, confined in a compressed condition between the rear end of the pencil and a head or cap, f, projecting beyond the same and joined to the annulus c at a point diametrically opposite to the hinge-point d by a connecting-rod, g. By the action of the spring on the cap the rod gis caused to retract the rin g, holding it normally in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Whenever it is desired to release the hold of the bars or strips or on the lead all that is needed is to press the cap f forward against the stress of the spring, which will bring the clamping-ring to the position shown in Fig. 1.

In order to secure the best results in the arrangement just described, the joint 61 is not an ordinary hinge-joint, but is formed by providing the ring, as shown, with a small tongue which extends into a transverse slot in the case A, so that the tongue may be capable of 85 a slight movement out and in, which it must have in order to allow the ring to properly center itself upon the receiver without tending to twist or strain the latter.

In lieu of the movable pressure-cap at the end of the pencil, a sleeve encircling the case and properly connected with the ring inside may be used. I remark, also, that in order to obtain the requisite movement of the ring lengthwise on the receiver it is not indispensable that the ring should be hinged. It may,

as shown in Fig. 3, be arranged to slide bodily in a right line, being connected, for instance, with the cap by two or more rods, g, extending from two or more points on the ring to the main rod or stem 9. In this case the bars a would have inclines on their exterior faces, the inclines h merging at the front into the parallel faces of the bars. The ring pulled back by the action of the retracting-spring would ride up on these inclines, and so force together the bars, while forward pressure on the cap against the stress of the spring would slide the ring forward away from the inclines, and thus permit the bars to separate or spread apart and so release the lead.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of a vibratory or hinged lead-clamping ring; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the case or handle, the lead tube or receiver fixed within the handle, and consisting for a portion of its length of elastic or flexible bars or strips, the clamping-ring encircling and longitudinally movable on said bars or strips, the pressure-cap or its equiva lent upon the exterior of the handle, connected with and adapted to move said ring. and the i retracting-spring operating to draw said ring in the direction in which it acts to press inwardly and toward one another said bars.

2. The combination, snbstantiallyas hereinbefore set forth, of the case or handle, the lead tube or receiver, constructed substantially as specified, the hinged or jointed clampingring encircling said tube the longitudinallymovable pressure-cap or sleeve connected with said ring, and the retracting-spring.

3. In combination with the case or handle and the lead-tube, formed substantially as described, the clampin g rin g encircling said tube and jointed to the ease by means of a lip or projection extending into a corresponding slot or opening in the case, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of August, A. D. 1880.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN. Witnesses:

C. S. BRAISTED, Jon W. SWAINE. 

